This document summarizes a workshop on developing communication skills for English as a second language learners. It identifies problems ESL learners face such as lack of motivation and issues with listening, speaking, reading and writing skills. It also outlines strategies discussed at the workshop to improve skills like using activities to make learning enjoyable, setting goals, building confidence, and reducing anxiety. Teachers are encouraged to make lessons relevant, promote collaboration, and motivate students.

2. We Welcome the participants

3. Development of Communication Skills in
Teaching & Learning English among English
as Second Language Learners (ESL)
Dr . Vijayeswari Subba Naidu
Ms. Masiha
Ms Manal
Presentation made on 02.11.2014 in the workshop held
at the English Department of Addarb College, Jazan

4. Major objective:
To identify problems & define strategies that could be
adopted for the development of communication skills
among the ESL Learners.
Specific Objectives:
 To define the expected learning experiences and strategies
adopted to learn English;
 To present problems in developing English
communication skills;
 To suggest some development strategies;
 To elicit additional problems from the participants.

5. The Expected Learning Experiences
&
Strategies Adopted among ESL Learners

6. The Expected Learning Experiences
 Enjoyment of communication in English;
 Awareness about the importance of
communication through languages;
 Realization of the interesting aspects &
richness of the language;
 Familiarization with English sounds &
rhythm;
 Skill in Active Listening and speaking.

7. Skills that help improve communication ability
Listening skill
Speaking skill
Reading skill
Writing skill

8. Problems in Learning English Communication
1.Problems of students
2.Problems of teachers

9. Problems in Teaching - Learning
English Communication
Problems of Students

10. Lack of motivation: self efficacy vs. losing self esteem
 People get motivated to do something they feel is worth doing
and expect to succeed in doing.
 Past experiences affects motivation as under:
 the better experiences develop over confidence in
self efficacy which results in anxiety. Reactions such
as anxiety results in ignorance of classroom
activities;
 the bitter experiences affect confidence, self worth
and a low sense of self efficacy which make students
lose their belief in their ability. As a result, they give
up.

11. Problems in LSRW –
Students lack skill in…
 Correct use of rules of grammar & applying the rules
automatically in listening, speaking, reading, and writing.
 Involving actively in the classroom as they have no
confidence over their word power;
 Pronouncing & in uninhibited production of speech;
 Communicating ideas with effective choice of words.
 Eliciting meaning of new words and interruption of
attention to search meaning affects their reading as well as
in writing skills

12. Problems in learning Grammar:
 Mechanical drills in which students substitute pronouns for
nouns or tense of verbs can help students memorize
irregular forms and challenging structures.
 But, students do not develop the ability to use grammar
correctly in oral and written interactions by doing
mechanical drills, because these drills separate form from
meaning and use.
 The content & the response is set in advance; the student
has to supply the correct grammatical form, without really
needing to understand or communicate anything.
 The main outcome due to this drills is: Grammar is boring.

13. Problems of the Teachers
 Monitoring large classes:
 Use of the mother tongue , L1 is also another hurdle.
They feel that it is unnatural to speak a language with
partners who speak the same L1.
 Self-conscious learners feel nervous and embarrassed
when asked to speak English.
 Time limit related to completing prescribed syllabus.
 Rote learning practice limits participation as the
students want to pass the course and their participation
in home assignments that aims developing critical &
creative thinking

14. Development of
Communication Skills

15. Developing skill in Listening
 Figure out the purpose for listening.
 Activate background knowledge of the topic to predict
or anticipate content.
 Attend to the parts of the listening input that are
relevant to the identified purpose and ignore the rest.
 Select top-down and bottom-up strategies that are
appropriate to the listening task and use them flexibly
and interactively.
 Post listening tasks help improve students'
comprehension and confidence

16. Develop skill in speaking
 Have a strong drive to communicate in English;
 Make an uninhibited talk even when you make mistakes;
 monitor their speech as well as that of others;
 Pay attention to meaning;
 Speak English with friends because they could help if got
stuck in speaking activities.
 Shed down the feeling they do not have enough word
power/vocabulary to use in interactions.
 Learn at least 10 new vocabularies every day from the
prescribed text.

17. While reading students should be enabled to-
 Figure out the purpose for reading.
 Activate background knowledge of the topic
 Select & focus on specific items in the
memory input.
 Select strategies that improves
comprehension and confidence (top-down
and bottom-up skills)
 Make a self assessment of their abilities in
comprehending, when the reading task is
completed.

18. Developing skill in writing
 Locate ideas from spoken instructions
 Sequence & analyze spoken instructions
 Discuss & brainstorm for ideas
 Interpret implicit ideas.
 Locate main idea and support idea
 Summarize & give structure of final
output

19. Strategies for Learning Grammar
 Realize a separation between declarative knowledge &
procedural knowledge.
 Declarative knowledge enables a student to describe a
rule of grammar and apply it in pattern practice – use
it while reading articles.
 Procedural knowledge enables a student to apply a
rule of grammar in communication – use it oral and
written communication.

20. Communicative drills
 Communicative drills encourage students to connect
form, meaning, and use because multiple correct
responses are possible.
 Students respond to a prompt using the grammar point
under consideration, but providing their own content.
 For example, to practice questions and answers in the
past tense in English, teacher and students can ask and
answer questions about activities the previous evening.

21. Development strategies

22. Teachers’ responsibilities
 Avoid - test-speak – too much use of questions to
concentrate on grammar & correct errors; give learners
opportunities to speak for themselves.
 Avoid - talk-to speaking - speaking constantly to explain
grammar and vocabulary but do not give learners
opportunities to participate.
 Use ‘real-speak’ to develop interactive speaking skills.
Real speaking allows learners to express ideas and
practice structures in personalized interaction.

23. Develop a personal relationship with students:
What to do in large classroom?

24. Create a supportive classroom atmosphere
 Accept mistakes as a natural part of
learning
 Encourage risk –taking among
students
 Use humor
Involve students in personalizing the
physical environment of the classroom
& determine the dynamics of the lesson

25. Cohesiveness
 Interaction, co-operation & sharing of personal
information in English among learners are important in
creating cohesive learner group;
 Smaller-group tasks where students mix with each other;
 Co-curricular activities & outing
 Whole-group projects that help in building group
cohesiveness.

26. Make curriculum & teaching materials relevant to
students:
 Teacher should personalize the
curriculum
 Relate the subjects to everyday
experiences
 Map the background life of the
students with examples
 Provide additional materials where
necessary.

27. Make learning enjoyable by making interesting
tasks
 Engage the learner’s fantasy and yield tangible,
finished products are likely to inspire learners –
Exhibitions for and by students.

28. Use goal-setting methods in your classroom:
Teacher can show students
how to break down tasks and
assignments into small steps
How to set a timeline for
reaching the goal
 How to monitor/evaluate
their own progress.

29. Provide learners with experiences of success:
 Building self-esteem and self-confidence
is an important aspect of
classroom motivation.
 Creating multiple opportunities for
students to experience success is
also vital for academic achievement.

30. Remove anxiety-provoking
environment:
 Teachers must avoid competition, with successful and
unsuccessful learners.
 Cooperation and collaboration with strong and week
learners must be encouraged.
 Tests and assessments should be made less
threatening.
 Avoid labeling learners as ‘slow’ ’weak’ or ’better’
than others.

31. Use rewards and grades in a motivating manner
 Grades should reflect learner effort
and improvement and not just
achievement levels.
 Continuous assessment and self and
peer evaluation procedures should be
encouraged.

32. 10. Use Motivational Quotes, speech and aids
And also
 Excellent Power Point Templates ,
 Good Graphics
 Creative Icons, Buttons, Images

34. Effective Teaching and Effective Learning Process
Teacher Student
Planning and strategies
Methodology
Preparation
Presentation
Promote thinking skills
Technology integration
Satisfaction
Motivation
Result
Evaluation
Group Work
Attitude & perception
Critical thinking
Willingness to learn
Cooperative learning
Goal orientation
State of the mind
Self-regulated
Reason application
Accountability

35. Provide suggestions to improve communication skill
Provide us your suggestions
Enlighten us developing
communication skills